Pastrami vs. Corned Beef | Brining, Cooking Methods & Flavor Showdown with Chef Tom

beef brisket

🥗Healthier: turkey breast

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Turkey is lower in fat, while pork is often less expensive.

Trim the whole brisket, separating the point and flat muscles.

Take off most of the fat from the point meat to see where the muscle is.

Clean up the flat muscle, leaving a half inch fat cap.

Prepare a brine for the brisket that will take 7 to 10 days to penetrate.

Make a pickling spice mix with equal parts of black peppercorns, red chili flakes, whole cloves, all spice berries, mustard seeds, and coriander.

Add ground ginger, ground mace, bay leaves, and crushed cinnamon sticks to the spice mix.

In a stock pot, add 2 gallons of water and bring to a simmer.

Add 3 cups of kosher salt, 2 cups of sugar, 20 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of pickling spice, and 3 tablespoons of pink curing salt to the simmering water.

Cool the brine with ice and ensure it's ready for the brisket.

Submerge the brisket in the brine for at least 7 days, preferably 10.

After brining, rinse the pastrami and coat it with coriander seeds and black pepper.

Smoke the pastrami overnight for a minimum of 8 hours.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: